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Thursday, 29 March 2012

What Freya Has To Offer (Brand Overview)

What is Freya good for? A lot, in fact. I’ve given them a lot of crap in this blog, but it’s silly not to acknowedge their strong points and the fact that they’re the best brand for many people. As part of my section “Starting Points”, I want to go over some of the ups and downs of the brand and hopefully provide direction for those who haven’t tried them before. Since it’s been a couple years since I wore Freya regularly, I’m not quite as updated as I could be on their most recent styles, though I’ve tried many of them in stores. So if you have knowledge that I lack, please add it in the comments!

Freya’s classic balconette are easy to wear, and give good shape for medium-sized boobs and full-on-the-bottom boobs of any size. They also seem to be a good fit for various other shapes but these classic balconettes are often not the best for full-on-top boobs, though it’s possible to make it work.

Freya’s unpadded bras tend to come up higher in the cup, which for larger cup sizes can sometimes feel a bit overwhelming visually. I’m beginning to come around to the fact, though, that the look isn’t bad, there’s just more fabric. It’s actually a bit retro without the pointy shape. Compare my 28J Freya Clarissa to my 28J Panache Confetti to see what I mean—the Freya clearly covers more of my chest, and makes my boobs look bigger, but it still looks cute, just different.

Freya Clarissa, left; Panache Confetti, right.

These higher-cut bras also tend to go hand in hand with higher center gores, but this is more true of the older styles than the newer ones. Some of Freya’s newer styles, like the Trudie and Beau, have center gores that sit a bit lower.

The extra coverage makes Freya bras a bit more reliable than other options, actually. These balconettes will reduce bounce you might get in lower-cut bras while walking around—something that I find embarrassing, so I’ve been reaching for my Clarissa a lot during this heat wave to reduce bounce in warm-weather clothes. The downside of the higher-cut cups is that they will show under low-cut (or in my case, even medium-low-cut) tops. This is actually something that I find cute and flirty for casual situations, but I can see how it would be a bit of a bummer for more serious or businesslike occasions.

One of Freya’s best shapes can be found in the bras modeled after the Antoinette—the Clarissa, Charlotte, Katie, Adele, Lucy, Pippa, and Claudia.

Antoinette

Clarissa

Claudia

Lucy

Katie

Pippa

All of these bras are discontinued, but you can still occasionally find them, especially the Antoinette, on eBay. The shape given by this bra is very round. Full-on-tops may need to size up or the top edge will cut in. I’m personally not sure which newer Freya bras, if any, follow this model, but I haven’t tried any on in shops that are identical. (I find myself wondering if the current Daphne style is similar?) Because these bras have the same fabric on all three parts of the cup, I find that they remain flattering even in the biggest cup sizes, whereas the bras with lacy upper sections sometimes grow unflattering as the cups grow.

The balconettes with the upper lace section (Pollyanna, Estelle, Latisha, Nancy, Faye, Edith, Luisa, Naomi, etc) are a very similar fit to the Antoinette-esque shapes for full-on-bottoms and will give a similarly good shape.

Latisha

Naomi

Estelle

Pollyanna

These styles are also generally more forgiving for full-on-tops because the lace has a tiny bit of stretch, so sizing up may not be necessary. The Zara, Tara and Beau bras with the stripes instead of lace also fit fairly similarly to these, in my experience.

Zara

Tara

Beau

When I tried the Sadie, it also gave a similar shape though the upper section is mesh rather than lace. This one reminds me of their older Mimi style, with a butterfly pattern, from way back when. The Mimi gave excellent shape, so I'm happy they've revived it. If you liked the Mimi, you may also like the Sadie!

Sadie

Mimi

The older Greta was also similar and was one of my favorite bras at the time that I owned it.

Greta

The Lauren is yet another style that fits similarly.

Lauren

In my opinion, the biggest drawback to these upper-lace-section styles and the similar designs is that they have a tendency to look less flattering on bigger cup sizes, in contrast to certain Panache balconettes and the Curvy Kate Showgirl bras, which tend to look fairly similar across sizes. Because the lace on these Freya bras is usually a different color or texture, and that section gets expanded hugely in the bigger sizes, it tends to maximize the appearance of your boobs if you are just looking in a mirror with the bra on. Obviously not everyone will care about this, but it was always a big disappointment for me when I saw how different my bras looked from how they looked on the model. Because of this, in my Freya heydey I tended to prefer to seek out the styles that had the same fabric all over the cup. I want to note that the Lauren, although it looks sort of like the same fabric all over the cup, actually isn’t—the texture isn’t continued on the upper section, and I found it looked a bit silly on my larger size because of that. (I’ve seen it looking beautiful on others of a similar size, though, so maybe the style just didn’t suit me for other reasons.)

Another category of Freya bra is their padded half-cups. A lot of their balconettes come with a padded half-cup version that has three vertical sections on the bottom and an upper section, but since the sizing is much more limited, I've never been able to try one. They seem pretty promising for those who can fit them.

There are also some semi-sheer bras that are similar in shape, such as Eloise, Roxanne, Nina, Halle, and Alexa.

Roxanne

Alexa

Eloise

Nina

Halle

The Arabella and the bras like it often don't work as well for full-on-top boobs because the upper section is just too tight and tends to cut in unless you size up. Those whose boobs are fuller on the bottom, though, however, will get a really nice, perky, uplifted shape in these.

The Jolie bra is fuller-coverage and the cups go up higher towards the straps. It is popular among those who wear it as a basic bra and it has come in some pretty cute colors over the years, some of which you can still find on sale. I’ve never tried it myself, but I have heard from others that the band can run a bit big.

Jolie

Finally, the Deco family is one of Freya’s strongest offerings. This may be the bra with the most universal popularity in the D+ community.

Deco

Frida

Lydia

Carly

Taylor

The regular Deco bras run about a cup size big, as do the Frida and Lydia versions, but the other versions (Carly, Crystal, Taylor, Ashlee) run truer to size, so a bit smaller than the regular Deco. The Deco also has a frustratingly limited size range. It only goes up to a GG, and it seems like everyone who wears a size above that just tries to cram themself in, or buys a bigger band size and takes in the band. Personally, I would hope to see the Deco developed up to a J, but I don’t see much action from Freya towards this. The massive fanfare surrounding the addition of the 28GG (ONE more cup size in ONE band size) proves that any sizing changes for the Deco are probably going to be miniscule and rare, which is really a shame. I’m lucky enough to actually fit perfectly in a 30GG Deco even though I usually wear a 28HH/28J, but I know many people who would really benefit from expanded sizes (and I’d probably get a 28H if they made one. Decos are almost always full price, rarely go on sale, and the colors do tend to sell out; if you want one, you typically have to invest. They are also subject to some tearing of the foam cups near the center gore after lots of wear. The bands are very well made, though, and don’t seem to stretch out much even with daily wear. These bras will typically give a lot of cleavage, which can be good or bad depending on what you’re looking for.

It’s good to know that Freya bras sometimes get a bit dodgy after HH cup, when they do go up that high. The underwires get weak, the whole structure seems off. This is especially true in their recent Nieve balconette style, which is the same as the current Edina. (The Nieve and Edina longline styles are more like the padded half-cups I mentioned above.)

Nieve balconette

Edina

I have tried both of these bras and found that they gave a pretty good shape, similar to the shape given by the upper-lace-section styles. I liked the Edina better than the Nieve but I agreed with the general feeling that they weren’t the strongest bras nor the most supportive for higher cup sizes.

In general, though, Freya doesn’t really make any bras that are actually dowdy, and it’s pretty simple to see if the cup is too small (unlike Curvy Kate, where it is the shape that indicates whether you’re in the right size, as I’ll write about in a later post). So even if you don’t get your Freya fit spot on at first, you still won’t feel like a granny or hate yourself. For this reason Freya is probably the best starter brand and should be investigated by anyone who has just learned their size. The sizing is relatively similar between Freya and Panache, so it’s pretty easy to move between the two. The biggest difference in terms of fit is that Freya center gores are generally narrow while Panache center gores are generally wide. Freya is a better option for closer-set boobs.

Freya bras are a often harder to find at sale price than Panache or Curvy Kate. Leia Lingerie’s Outlet section is the best source for sales, and their regular section has one of the best selections of current-season styles. For those not in the UK, Figleaves tends to stock current Freya styles, and in the US you can sometimes find them at Nordstrom.

Of course many of the bras I've written about have subtle differences that will cause them to fit people in different ways, but I still hope this can at least serve as a starting point to send people in the right direction. I've also been unable to include anywhere near every bra Freya has made, but hopefully seeing which bras are similar will be helpful.

47 comments:

I have the Lyla, Pollyanna and the Naomi, all in 30F. The Naomi bra is lightly padded, and is totally different. In fact, if I remember correctly, it has at least two seams in the fabric area of the cup (not as the picture shows). The cups seem to be further apart than the Pollyanna or the Lyla. I have full on top boobs, and I can wear the Pollyanna and Lyla, but the Naomi cuts in. I get the best shape from the Lyla. Maybe the Naomi would be better as a 30FF, but I picked it up on sale, and didn't have an option to try the 30FF. BTW, thanks for the other reviews and explanations!

Hi, thanks for your information! I'm jealous that the Lyla fits you as I haven't had any luck with it, but I won't stop trying! I think you may have a different version of the Naomi. It comes in a 3-piece balconette (the one I pictured) and also a padded version. I didn't realize there was a padded half-cup version of the Naomi, but from what I've just looked up it does have a very different cup structure. Perhaps I'll add a photo of that to my post.

This is such an awesome overview! I really need to figure out what my "real" size in Freya is, since I haven't gotten much chance to try anything close to my size since it changed a little while back. I have the Freya Zara in a 28GG, and it fit well until I gained a little boobage, and now it tends to cut into the top of my breasts. I'm thinking I need to order some 28H's to try, although the bands being stretchy is another issue for me with Freya (in addition to the styles changing above a G cup).

I *really* hope they'll expand the range of the Deco (more than just the 28GG)... they're so popular, you'd think they'd make them in every size that they could!

I recently sent Freya an email lamenting their increasingly stretchy 28 bands. It was written as a satirical breakup letter, as I seriously can't wear them anymore. I also pointed out that the G+ styles don't fit or look much like the smaller cups.

They wrote back, thanked me for my feedback and actually sent the email on to the design department!

This is a much better response from a year or so ago, when I wrote them to ask about bras that were like the Mitzy, and just got a helpful "go try on a bunch in the store." Well, thanks, I'm in the States.

The Lyla/Eleanor/Eloise doesn't fit my bottom-heavy shape, but it could also be that I should have went up a cup (28G to a 28GG). My boyfriend LOVES sheer cups though, so I must keep looking. I have my eye on future Ewa Michalak softcups, but haven't found anything else that's even close to being as sheer as the Lyla/Eleanor. Ideas?

If you do end up going up cup sizes to the point where it's no longer sheer (which starts at GG if I remember correctly; my GG Arabella wasn't sheer all over) you can carefully cut out the extra lining so it will look exactly like the sheer version. But if the band is too loose, then I'm not sure! Like Astrid says, you may want to keep your eye on the Claudette bras as I think they are planning to increase their sizes a lot in the future. Other than that, I wish I knew! I have been keeping my eye out for sheer bras too. I'll update if I find anything else out!

Do you have any thoughts on the 'plunge' styles like the Jessica? The cup construction looks weird to me and I'm hesitant to try it because I don't get on with their soft cup bras in general - I just get pointy and/or droopy. I really wish I got on with them better because they're so easy to get hold of!

Ah, I forgot to mention the plunge styles at all! Unfortunately I've never even tried one on, so I don't know what the unpadded plunges would be like. I remember hearing that the Jessica was very popular (and it's really cute) but as to the fit I'm not sure. I imagine based on the location of the seams it might be somewhat similar to Panache's Tango plunge, which works well for some people and not so well for others.

I have the Jessica. I have it in 28DD and I find the lace sort of cuts in on my larger breast but my 28E Deco has some gapping (perhaps I should have reversed those sizes, but I'm still learning). I think the soft cup style should be tried on in store whenever possible.

I tried a Deco soft cup in 30E (had to order online, can't try on in Aus), and it fit well at fist, but the next few hours descended into the worst bra experience I've had. My boobs worked their way upwards and into the centre, leaving a gap underneath at the sides. The extra space caused the bra to chafe and bruise (not visibly, but it left tender spots).

I prefer to wear a 28HH in the Confetti and Lucy, but also own both styles in 28J as well (my 28J Confetti is the one shown in the post), and the 28J fits in both styles but the 28HH is much better. On the other hand, I don't think I could fit into a 28HH in the Clarissa because my 28J is already threatening to cut in. I do have some 30H Antoinette bras at home in the States, which would be the equivalent of a 28HH, and I seem to remember those fit okay the last time I tried them on, but sadly I can't try them on to check until May when I get home.

I think if your boobs are fuller on top and you tend to have bras cut in when they are higher-cut, you might want to go up one size from your Panache/Cleo size, but if that's not a problem you usually have, you will probably be okay sticking with the same 28HH. The sizing itself is very similar between brands, it's just the shape that differs, so your decision should be based on your shape.

Thank you :D I've ordered a 30H Antoinette (I plan to tighten the band a little). I'm full on the bottom/sides so I don't think I'll have a problem. As always, thank you for being to thorough with your reviews!

My Lucy bra ( another sister bra of Antoinette) is most comfortable bra ever, it gives great shape too.I've been trying to find all names of this shape/construction bras, to make browsing Ebay easier:) Clarissa, Charlotte, Katie, Adele, Claudia, Layla and Lucy.There shoulb be something in new collection too, I think is Luisa.

Oooh, thank you! I can't believe I forgot to add the Lucy considering I was just looking at buying one! I will add the Layla too. I just remembered, there was another bra made in the same shape several years ago, it was satin with a sort of beige/brown pattern that looked a bit like retro fireworks, and the lace was white crochet... you don't happen to know the name of that one, do you? I can't for the life of me remember!

It's so helpful of you to show us which bras are based off the same pattern, thank you! When I first got fitted, it was into a nude Freya Antoinette in 34 G. I know now I'm a 34H/HH but I still wear this bra despite the slight overflow because of the nice shape it gives me and the perfect skin tone match. I've been trying to find more, and now I know what syles are similar (how irritating they don't carry the same name).

What I find irritating about Freya is how wide their underwires get in larger sizes. I have other bras you've mentioned above, and instead of fitting with a nice underwire that surrounds my breast, they have underwires and inch to an inch and a half too wide which dig into my armpits and force fabric against my arm. I think they stop aiming for a rounded shape in cup sizes over G or so and start expanding the underwire rather than the projection of the cup.

It could also be good to notice that the Clarissa and its clones look similar in all cup sizes, while the cut of the Pollyanna and its clones change a lot when going from a G-cup up to a GG. Same goes for Jolie. In the smaller cup sizes this is a Balconette plunge, with siginicantly lower center piece than in Clarissa. However, when crossing the line over to the GG-cups and up this is a whole other style, with the same fabric, but a cut much more similar to Clarissa. They actually even have different style names for the larger cup version and the smaller cup version. Sadly this isn't always shown. Many times you only get to see the small cup version in catalouges and on the Freya webpage. :(

Great post! I wear almost exclusively Panache and Bravissimo bras, so I've always wondered about Freya and it's good to have an overview. I've always had the feeling that, with a strong customer base in the D-G range, they weren't that interested in the larger cup market. The only style I have (the pollyanna), even thoug there is no overflow, the underwires stays almost two inches away from my sternum, which is a shame as it is comfy and uplifting and the narrow underwires are supposed to work well with close-set boobs. I would size up on the band size and have it altered if it was a matter of slight overflow, but this is more extreme. Because of this, I'm wary of trying other styles.

Great overview - so informed and precise. I loved Freya when I was a 32FF/G but now I am a smaller back size but 'larger cup' 30 GG/H they really don't work and are often heavy looking and uncomfortable to wear, plus I really don't like the stretchy straps - they dig in more than the Cleo and Panache ones. Despite having less wide underwires they often give me a more East-West look which, as I am short-waisted and only 5 foot 4 inches tall made me look wider than I need to look - as illustrated in your Clarissa/Confetti example. Truly you have been such a help to me in selecting bras, I can't thank you enough!

Thanks for the great overview! I've been wondering about two photos of the Freya Arabella I saw just last week, which seem to fit their owners in a completely different way. I'm assuming that it's because of different boob shape (full-on-top vs full-on-bottom, perhaps?), but I'm not sure - what do you think?

I think you are right that it is because of their shape. The woman in the fourth photo (red Arabella) appears to have boobs that sit a bit higher and point upward a bit more as well as having more volume at the front, which leads to the somewhat rounder overall appearance. Unfortunately there's no foolproof way to predict exactly what each bra will look like on each person as we are all shaped so differently but that's why bratabase is so helpful in the first place.

Thank you for the wonderful overview! I've found I work poorly with cut-sew bras, so most of the Freya offerings make me look pointy, but I do adore the Deco!

The Taylor does run a bit smaller, to my dismay, and I'm trying to get the fabric to actually work on the bottom instead of gapping- an odd issue for my full-on-bottom shape. Perhaps the bottom of the cup is too shallow and I just can't conform to fill it?

That does tend to happen with styles that are meant to be super-super-uplifting as they often don't have as much volume in the bottom of the cup, which you'd need for your shape. Cheryl on Invest In Your Chest also has boobs that are fuller on the bottom and she's found that the Deco and its similar versions aren't ideal for her, as sizing up to get the volume in the bottom does often lead to gaps at the top. But if the Deco itself works for you, hopefully you'll be able to find a good size in the similar styles to make it work!

Sorry for the slow response! I know the Lizzie is a very similar cut, as is the Daisy. The Sophia looks to have seams in similar places, but the fabric used is different (whereas the Lizzie looks very much like the Mitzy). Another one to look for is the Madison. I'm not sure which of these styles are still readily available but I hope this helps!

Not sure if anyone has mentioned this, but the Arabella and Pollyanna styles are actually the same cut. I notice a lot of times Freya will call something a balcony, or better yet, a plunge/balcony, and it's not different in shape than their plunge styles. I have full on top boobs and cannot wear the Arabella. In the same exact size I also cannot wear the Pollyanna. Even though it's not as tight of a fabric, it has no stretch in it on the upper lace section so it does not stretch. Perhaps the Full Cup (or real balcony) version of it does, but mine doesn't. Any style from Freya that has a 3 sectioned cup are not good at all for full on top breasts. Even the Rio gives me problems and that's a much higher cut. The only thing that works for our kind of shape are bras made of foam lining with stretchy fabric, the foam is more forgiving, at the same time if you're in the wrong size it's not as easy to tell since it's so mouldable.

Sorry for disagreeing. The way I see it Freya has 3 shapes of bras. Plunge (with 2 different kinds of fabric - lace and foam (Deco), Balcony, and Demi (what they call a padded half-cup is not a half-cup but really a demi). And as you mention...with tons of variations of fabric to make it seem like they make a huge selection.

The purpose of doing this post was to show the difference between different "families" of Freya bras. The Arabella and Pollyanna may fit similarly on you, but they are not the same shape, the stretch of the fabric makes a difference too, and they fit others very differently. I've owned the Arabella while simultaneously owning the Antoinette/Rio/Pollyanna in the same size and it was shaped very differently. I'm sorry that none of them work for you, but for others with full-on-top boobs, some of the styles will work even if others don't, and I'm hoping to point people in the right direction and be helpful.

If you are wearing a smaller size (below G, or below F) the bras might fit you differently than in the larger cups. Changes happen in the cut of the bras above HH cup as well. My boobs are full-on-top and I wear many shapes other than just stretchy foam bras. This post can only be a starting point, but I do feel very strongly that there are massive differences between different Freya bras, much more so than a brand like Curvy Kate where all the bras are indeed based on a single cut. Even in Curvy Kate, though, the type of fabric used still leads to fairly significant differences in how big/small the bras run and whom they suit.

Thank you for making such an informative post! This should take some of the guesswork out of online shopping.

You mentioned taking in bands -- do you ever find that this makes the bra fit, well, weird? I altered my big-in-the-band Edina longline (following the instructions at http://hourglassy.com/2011/08/leahs-second-column-shrinking-a-bra-band) and it had the effect of pulling the underwire further out toward the sides and back, making the cup wider and shallower (as opposed to buying a band size down+cup size up, where I'd imagine you'd have a narrower and deeper cup). It looks all right, but feels odd, like it's both too tight and too loose at the same time. Has this happened with any of the bras that you've altered?

I actually have never taken in a band significantly--I've occasionally done quick fixes like moving the hooks or adding some non-stretch material to the band, but I've never done a band alteration on a bigger scale. However, what you're saying makes sense based on other alterations I've seen. I think you are right that the wires are getting warped by the extra pull on the back, which will flatten out the cups. I'm actually a bit surprised that this would happen with a longline though, as I would have hoped the extra material under the cups would help to stabilize the underwires. If it was a normal bra I would suggest taking in the center gore to help pull the cups back to the front, but of course this would be much more difficult in a longline. You could also try looking at some other tutorials for alterations and see if there is anything different from what you did that might help (here is a good one: http://dressingcurves.blogspot.se/2011/10/alterations-reduce-band-width.html) I wish I had more experience altering bands so I could be more helpful!

You know, I saw a "bra brand overview" in the fashion section of an online newspaper here in Denmark.. and when they mentioned Freya I was thrilled! Cups above FF is not acknowledged here, and I thought "Has Denmark come further? Will there be bras? If Freya is mentioned, then surely they must realize that FF+ is a real market!" Alas, no, when the size-selction was described as follows: "Almost all the bras come in so called big sizes. For example, they deliver girly bras in the impressive F and GG sizes. We're actually talking the Anni Fønsby league here!" Anni Fønsby is a reality star, convicted for running a brothel, and most known for her exaggerated plastic surgeries. *Sigh*

To add my two cents worth on the subject of fit differences between Freya and Panache...

I find Freya to be much looser in the band than Panache, at least at the bottom end of the range. In fact, some Freyas in 28 are actually looser than Panache/Cleo in 30! This must be discouraging for women with ribcages smaller than mine. I consistently fit a 28 in Freya (barring some older models, like the Rio), and a 30 in Panache/Cleo.

I've also found differences in the cup size, but that's relative and could be simply a consequence of shape - my breasts are somewhat bottom-heavy, and close set. I'm a consistent 28FF in Freya's newer styles, but usually a 30FF in or even a 30G in Panache/Cleo.

I wish someone would work on standardizing this. I understand the inevitability of variability in cup sizing, but honestly, can't they ensure consistency in the bands?

Excellent overview, very informative. Based on this one, the Curvy Kate one and the Panache one, I can actually conclude that Freya will be my only option for the forseable future.

The family of bras you call "The balconettes with the upper lace section" are the ones normally called a "balconette plunge" in the descriptions at figleaves or bravissimo. That's a silly label, but it does get across their main feature - low centre gore! The feel and fit of these are very similar to the Arabella family although with less lift. Low centre gore, low armpit wire and rounded shape (for full on bottom boobs). This is my staple bra shape, and I get every one I find in my size, whatever ugly pattern. The balconette plunges have a tighter band, in my experience, that the ordinary balconettes Freya makes. For those of us who must have tight bands, low centre gore and narrow wires, these are a godsend.

I sold my red Rio before I took any photos! If you look at the index of reviews, you can see that I did briefly talk about a black Rio I tried on instore, but I didn't get a good fit in that at all. In the red Rio I used to own, I got a great shape, and the wires were very narrow. However, the straps were slippery and slid off my shoulders a lot, and the band only had two hooks. So it was never my favorite bra, however, it was a good option for me back then. I'm not sure if the bra has changed or if my boobs have, because the one I tried on recently was horrible on me.

Freya really is a godsend as it's really hard to find cute bras in my size (30HH/32H/28J). I currently own six sets and four of them are Freya. It's really a pain for some women to find bras. I'm not even super slim (size 10 tall) but I have drastic curves and have since puberty, as I wore a 32DD at 12. I'd be punished with ugly, plain bras if it wasn't for Freya.

I've found Freya to be amazing, much better than Marks and Spencer for example, love it that sizing goes below a 32, lots start at a 34. Doesn't stretch out as fast as other braa, thicker straps are lovely, some are too thin especially if you are smaller around the ribcage. Definately recommend!P.s, I work in lingerie :)

Freya Deco family fits - Deco is good in a 32E (?) but since I've still got migration, I got a 32F. Some gapping, but that'll fill soon enough. The majority of the family fit the same but i am full on the bottom. However the Taylor is significantly smaller, a 32G was fitting, but small. So despite the fact it's ever so lovely and what I like, I passed since it won't fit soon enough.

The bands are LOOSE! I'm still in a 34 with Curvy Kate and those are snug.

I tried on the Deco charm bra in a 30F as in the shop I tried them on in, they only stocked from a 30" upwards (28FF), the band was like a worn 32 and there was about an inch between the cup and my boob...